East Africa travels: Kenya - Kampala - Kigali!

Dec 19th to Jan 11th

Three countries in three weeks – tons of new sites, new friends and glorious new vistas, hopping between three distinct cultures in such a short time. Each day brought new delights and challenges, and it was so fun to experience it all with my newly-acquired traveling companion, Ted!

We enjoyed four days in Nairobi, during which I showed Ted my most common Nairobi stomping grounds. We met with Ruth and Pastor Josphat at Word Fellowship Centre in the Kibera slums; we walked through Arboretum park, enjoyed some yummy Kenyan and Ethiopian food, and met with two of Ted's American friends who are currently living in Kenya. One of them is in Peace Corps. She spent a couple days with us at Lisa's flat, hanging around Nairobi (we did some epic walking, let me tell you!) and doing some much-missed American activities like drinking Dr. Pepper and watching a movie! Oh it was so good to be in the company of friends. Ted and I also visited Eastleigh, a section of Nairobi that is home to many Somalis, most of them refugees. It felt like stepping into a completely different country – most everyone was foreign! With Pastor Josphat's help, we ate lunch with and interviewed a Somali man.

Christmas Eve was our chosen departure date for Kampala, Uganda. After a 15 hour, indescribably beautiful bus ride via Kisumu, we arrived at approximately 10pm. Our hosts were the Olukas, the family of one of Ted's classmates in Cairo. They were wonderful to us. We enjoyed their home and fellowship for nearly 10 nights. Their daughter Faythe was our immediate friend and tour guide, showing us the ways of Ugandan taxis and my beloved motorcycle taxis (boda-bodas)! (I first rode one of these in Ruth's village, while balancing two wedding cakes on my lap, you may remember!) It is hard to describe Mr. Oluka's brilliant sense of humor and the total warmth and thoughtfulness of the entire family; God was very good to us through that family's kindness.

Kampala was much more laid back and safer than Nairobi. We explored parts of downtown, attended the Oluka's church on Christmas Day, attended a show at the National Theatre, and visited the Compassion Uganda country office (where I ran into a Ugandan man that I had actually met in San Diego this last summer! Small world!) Ted and I took a one day, one night excursion to Jinja, a town famous for being at the source of the Nile River! Ted's good friend, John, was honeymooning in Jinja and invited us to come visit (their "honeymoon" is going to be 8 months long, so we didn't feel too intrusive.) John and his new wife, Regina, are from southern Uganda. It was so fun to spend time fellowshipping with them. We took a boat to see where the Nile flows from Lake Victoria, and paddled across Bujagali Falls and, of course, enjoyed some traditional Ugandan dishes (Perhaps I am biased, but I still believe that nothing beats Kenyan cuisine!)

On New Years Day, we traveled south, crossing into Rwanda – the country of a thousand hills. Oh, Rwanda. Rwanda, Rwanda, Rwanda. How can I express how it was to be in that tremendous place for five days? Another of Ted's friends (these are all friends he met in Cairo during his studies this year) picked us up at the International Bus Park in Kigali Town. He found very reasonably-priced lodging for us in city centre, where we stayed for 5 nights. My goodness – the country itself is more beautiful than I imagined any place could be. The city is built into huge, rolling, green hills. The streets are clean and safe (polar opposite of Nairobi, and much cleaner even than Kampala). The country has flipped completely around since the 1994 genocide, though the effects of it are permanently etched into the conscious of every Rwandan. Walking the streets of Kigali, the mental images were inescapable- I imagined dead, bodies, cut by machete and half-eaten by dogs filling the road, knowing that that was once the reality in every corner of this country. For the past 13 years, Rwandans have been working hard at reconciliation, letting their open wounds gradually heal instead of sloppily covering up the mess and destruction by ignoring the genocide and trying to "move on." They are striving to remember, so that they can be a sign to the rest of the world and a lead educator on what genocide means. Ted and I visited the Genocide Memorial in Kigali twice, the second time to hear a survivor's testimony and watched a film titled "Shooting Dogs." I highly recommend it.

One day in Rwanda we traveled to a village one hour away to meet Ted's Compassion child, Mukama. Another day, we took our African Safari! I still hadn't gone yet, and as it is the signature thing to do in East Africa, my parents treated me to an early birthday gift. We enjoyed a full 5 hours driving around Akagere National Park along the Rwandan-Tanzanian border. It was beautiful, and full of zebras, impalas, giraffes, baboons, hippos and all sorts of strange and colorful birds.

So yes, I loved Rwanda. I got to speak French (as that is one of the national languages), enjoy many long boda-boda rides, dramatic views and sweet cups of tea. It was somber and deeply beautiful at the same time.

(picture: me in Kigali, Rwanda)
We had intended to stop in southern Uganda on our return to Kampala. Our time, though was cut short by the fuel crisis in the country, due to the eruption of post-election violence in Kenya and the still uncontrolled Ebola situation in the south. Ted and I returned to the Oluka's home in Kampala. From there, we made alternate travel arrangements back to Nairobi (where we were catching our flight to Cairo on Jan. 11th). Our 7 hour layover in Nairobi was without problem. I met with Lisa and Virginia and Bella one last time, to collect my luggage and say "farewell" to East Africa. It was so strange saying goodbye, and I am still missing the people and experiences God gave me there. I am so, so grateful to God for all He did in that time, and all I hope He will do through those relationships in the future.

Bless you, and please, please pray for Kenya. You'll hear from me again soon!

Upheaval in Kenya

It makes me so sad to report that the elections in Kenya went so horribly. I knew the race was going to be close; I knew nearly everyone in the country had a strong opinion and that those opinions were usually drawn along tribal lines; I knew people were worried about rigging at the polls and sabotage; but, I also knew that…

-Kenyan Christians had been praying for months for peaceful elections
-Good Luou and Luya friends of mine, and good Kikuyu friends of mine were casting their votes for opposing candidates, but they were all praying and hoping for a peaceful election
-In my mind, Kenyans had a maturity about them that not all African countries currently demonstrate – Though tribalism is a tangible issue, I never imagined it would be cause for violence and murder here
My assumption that the election would pass smoothly was probably the result of some naiveté, partly because I was only in Kenya for seven weeks, and partly because I spent almost all that time in a large city, and large cities are known for blurring the lines a little between tribal classifications and prejudices; urban life usually gets people to mesh a little, to live life in closer proximity and so dislike each other a little less.

It is a little unreal to read the names of places that I have been in the newspaper, to hear that horrible things have taken place there – Kibera, Mathare, Kisumu, Eldoret, and rallies at Uhuru Park. I am upset about the current state of things, praying for resolution, and frankly was feeling anger at both Raila and Kibaki. It is pretty evident that both men sabotaged the polls, and they are refusing to cease their stubbornness for the sake of saving their countrymen’s lives. A little less power tripping, and a little more love for the Kenyan people would be a brilliant way, a necessary step, towards resolution.

Praise God that all my friends are safe. Pastor Josphat and his church are really struggling financially. Their church was not burned, but the Pastor has welcomed many congregants fleeing the violence into his home, which is outside Kibera, and his family is struggling to cover these costs. My main concern right now is that I have no word about the girl I sponsor, Purity. Purity is a Kikuyu and she lives in Mathare slums, the worst hotbed of violence against Kikuyus in Nairobi. I am hoping and praying that she does not live in a particularly harsh neighborhood in Mathare.

God's goodness through a medley of experiences!

What a mixture of experiences this past week has brought! And I must first thank you all for your prayers as I traveled to Bungomo district, Western province last weekend.

My friend, Ruth, and I left on Thursday, taking a 9-hour bumpy bus ride (and when I say bumpy, I mean, throwing you around the seat row, causing you to involuntarily jump up and down every couple minutes kind of bumpy!) to her home district. Her mother and 6 siblings and uncle and neighbors gave me a royal welcome. It was dark by the time we arrived, but we ate and sang by kerosene lamp.

Her village is called Napara. Grass roof huts are scattered across the farm fields - maize, tomatoes, cassava, and sunflowers everywhere and such friendly, welcoming people. There definitely were no other muzungus in sight!

I had the opportunity to attend a wedding in Malaba (near the Ugandan border), where I met a Rwandan pastor that Ted and I may meet up with in Kigali. I rode on motorcycles (as a passenger, not a driver!), bicycle taxis, and even milked a cow.

Ruth's family was so generous. Her mother is such a strong, God-fearing woman. Maktilda is her name, and she ensured that we got home safely on the night bus, by her persistent prayers and by helping us onto the motor-taxi.

That evening alone was a string of answered prayers! We had a tricky time getting to the bus stage in Bungomo, and we really believed we had missed the only shuttle back - but God had one waiting right there for us; and the fare was cheaper than ever, and Ruth's pastor had even sent a friend to make sure we got on the bus safely! Oh, it was so good.

And now, I am in my last 2 days of being in Kenya. Wow This time has been so rich. It has gone by much faster than I anticipated. Ted has now arrived (sweeet). It is great, and so different to have a familiar face around consistently! I am so thankful for his safe arrival, and for the great 3 days we've had so far, visiting his peace corps friend from Davis, Rachel, visiting the Somalian refugee neighborhood in Nairobi (it really felt like we had traveled out of country!), and exploring new parts of Kibera and it's bordering posh neighborhoods.

The second phase of my time in Africa has officially begun! I thank God, and am thankful for you all too! :)

Much love,
Katharine

* The Sierra Leone Servant Team is approaching as well ... I am excited, and keeping certain issues in prayer, such as Visa applications, etc. I am anxious to share more of what I'm learning about our team's mission and goal there. I just finished reading "Blood Diamonds" for our pre-trip assignments, and I highly recommend it, for a picture of the horrific civil war and what caused it in Sierra Leone.
* I'll write again soon; g'night to you all!
(picture: me and my friend Ruth)

chattin' with god

Thank you all for wanting to know what's going on in my life here, and for praying for me. I would appreciate your prayers in the following ways:

* I am traveling to a village in Western province tomorrow. I will be on the road for 8 hours with my friend Ruth. It is her home that I will be visiting for a couple days. Please pray for safety, and that I will return to Nairobi BY Sunday evening!

* For Ted's safe arrival in Nairobi on Wed, 12/19/07 at 4:00 am. We will have 5 days in Kenya before taking a long bus ride to Kampala on Christmas Eve.

* Support-raising, Sierra Leone. My deadlines are coming up fast. I have just raised 49.63% for financial support.

* Visa issues, Sierra Leone. The saga continues ... if my team doesn't raise sufficient funds soon, our plane tickets won't be purchased until January, at which point it will be too late for my parents to apply for a SL Visa in the States. This means I will need to pay an additional $250 to get an in-country visa. Please pray that God will continue guiding the visa process until it is secured.

Thank you all - also, Praise God for the friends He has given me here, and for His protection of me and His great love.

a little bit of me

I simply cannot write. There is much to express, but I cannot do it. Maybe after having the regular company of Ted (who arrives in just 8 days!) I will have experience at expressing myself again and be able to better share with you all. In many ways, this is like my road trip. I am so disconnected from everything familiar, a lot of my false securities are stripped away, and here I am. It's just me, with no fancy masks or decorations. I haven't even been writing in my personal journal much.

kajiado: a breath of fresh air (literally!)

Last Sunday, I hopped on a psuedo matatu and headed south of Nairobi to Maasai land, just a few kilometres north of Tanzania!

I stayed at Kajiado Children's Home for five nights. This was my first out-of-Nairobi experience, and it was a culture shock indeed! The pace of life - much slower; the car exhaust and air pollution - there isn't any!

Eighty-five children live at Kajiado Children's Home, a project begun by British and American donors ten years ago. The kids range in age from 5 to 18. A few have now left the Home for college and university.

From the moment I arrived, I sensed this was going to be a very different experience for me. A children's home is a far cry from a Compassion project, where the children visit on the weekends but then live with their families or relatives. The Home, on the other hand, replaces the family unit. Each child there has eighty-four siblings, and they all do chores, pick fights with each other and also look after one another, just like kids in a natural family.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do while there, but I also realized that the point of the week wasn't necessarily to do. No, what I needed was to slow down, pray more, and try being a part of this Kajiado family however I could. So, I met many of the children, played games with them, learned how to do laundry from them, cleaned and ate with them, and did a bit of exploring in town and the surrounding acacia forests.

Thankfully there were also tangible ways I could contribute. I became a personal secretary of sorts to the project managerfor the week. A donor from England visited the project during my first two days there. He brought excel spreadsheets that the project manager would need to start using, in order to beef up accountability and detail exactly how all donor money was being spent. The manager isn't too computer literate, so I was able to create and fill in many of the forms for him.

I loved the kids and teenagers I met at Kajiado. They clearly had come from difficult places, and many are currently struggling with being teenagers on top of that. Agnes, Sylvia, Eunice, Grace, Jedidah, Mary - all girls that I will not forget. If you're reading this now, perhaps you can pray for them, and the Kajiado family as a whole. This is a Christian home, but many of the teenagers there need to know that the Gospel is personally for them. Meeting with the British donor also gave me some insights into the specific challengers of running a home like this.

The little kids, like kids anywhere, were so full of energy and just loved any bit of attention given to them. They also were fascinated by my white skin. Even by the end of the week, a few of the kids would still shout "WOOOOWW!" whenever I walked into the room. One morning, I had eight of them crowding around the outdoor sink to watch me brush my teeth! They often had me laughing. :)

By the time the week ended, I was starting to grow accustomed to the slow pace of life in Kajiado. Thankfully, some of the calmness and quietness of that place stayed with me as I re-entered the bustling capitol.

(By the way, I cannot overstate how closely God has been protecting and providing for me. Even on the way back from Kajiado - he used a kind Muslim woman to both save me from getting cheated out of a lot of money and from being stranded in a bad part of town. She walked with me for 40 minutes once we reached Nairobi until she got me to where I needed to go!)

(Picture: here's me at Kajiado with some of the kids. These were the real characters. Asha, Elizabeth, Helen and Esther... And you'll have to excuse my scruffy experience. Though it did feel nice to rough it for a week! A new experience for me was "showering" with just a bucket of water.)

World Aids Day - Dec 1st 2007

Today I had the joy of returning to Waithaka, Compassion project KE 370 for World Aids Day ceremonies. Children and families from four surrounding child development centres joined the Waithaka project for a commemorative walk and a day full of song, dance, acrobatics and testimonies at the church. After my week in Kajiado, visiting Jipe Moyo one last time was like a family reunion. I saw all the staff again, as well as many of the Waithaka project students. I also was so excited to get to perform a poem recitation with six of the Compassion teenagers. We had been memorizing a poem called “CRUEL AIDS” for a week or two prior to this day, and it was great to recite it with them, with Kenyan accents and all! :)

A really sweet 19-year-old girl who is HIV+ shared a bit of her story in front of the whole church; this was a room packed with about four hundred people. She did a Q & A session with the teens. A mother of one of the Compassion students also shared her story, revealing to the public for the first time that she has AIDS. A lot of prayer and consideration went into deciding whether or not this woman should share, as she would be irreversibly exposing herself to the social stigma that openly HIV+ people face. In the end, this courageous woman decided to share, focusing on the long-term impact her testimony may have by eroding the stigma associated with AIDS and increasing people’s concern and compassion for those affected.

It was a rainy, muddy, wonderful day. I am going to miss my good friends here in Waithaka.